"I've needed to do these photos for years, but I was just too nervous. I don't know how to pose, and I don't like how I look in photos." I hear this all the time. In fact, it's rare to have someone come to me and say, "I love taking photos! I could do this for hours!" (Truth be told, I'd feel the exact same way if it was my turn in front of the camera.)
But in today's digital world, everyone needs at least a few professional portraits. Practically speaking, we should all have a professional portrait for our profile pictures on social media and email. A cropped photo from a night out just won't cut it. If you want to be taken seriously as a professional, then you at least need a real portrait.
Increasingly, small business owners and business professionals need personal branding images for social media posts, blog articles, magazine features, newsletters, and email signatures. Almost every professional I follow on Instagram shares an "About Me" post every two weeks or so. The best of those posts have new photography each time.
Dorian came to me for these very reasons. He is a successful realtor who has built a successful business merely by word-of-mouth recommendations. But without much of a social media presence, he knew for years that he'd been missing out on the opportunity to connect with more people and to share more about his work. Dorian told me that he just didn't really need to be on social media--his business was doing fine without it.
When we got to talking a little bit more, he admitted what I wrote at the beginning: he had been putting off creating personal branding portraits because he was nervous. He just didn't think they'd go well, and he never really liked how he looked in most of the "professional" photography he has had done.
He called me and said, "You're highly recommended by some people I know, so I'm going to trust you. Let's do a session."
For the first few minutes, I knew he was nervous despite our cheerful banter. I think we're all like this. We sit in front of a camera and try to put on a brave, happy face, but deep down we're scared that we look terrible and that we're about to waste a lot of money.
That's where I come in. I am here to help give you the right pose in the right light with the right expression. With a little direction and a few laughs, Dorian and I had begun to create.
I showed him a handful of photos after a few minutes, and he was pleasantly surprised. He absolutely loved them. He was so grateful that I was helping him to look his best. He immediately loosened up, and for the next hour we had a blast walking around downtown Columbus, creating the amazing personal branding portraits you see here.
By the end, we accomplished the practical need Dorian had: we created new portraits for him to use for his business. More importantly, Dorian discovered a new level of confidence in front of the camera. He was proud of how he looked. He was excited to share his new images with the world.
That's the biggest impact that a personal branding session can have. The newfound confidence, pride, and love for yourself are well worth the time and money spent.
If you need a realtor, find Dorian at Carleton Realty in Westerville.
If you're ready to build your confidence and create the best portraits you've ever had of yourself, then be in touch today. Email me at contact@aarontaylorphoto.com or call/text me at 301-641-4261. Be confident and proud. Let's create your personal branding portraits soon.
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